Folding rack



May 28, 1957 A. sToRK 2,793,764

FOLDING RACK Filed Feb. 24, 1955 INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent O FOLDING RACK Alfred Stork, Bayside, N. Y., assgnor, by mesne assignments, to Davilo Realty Corp., Woodside, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 24, 1955, Serial No. 490,238

4 Claims. (Cl. 211-178) The present invention relates to a garment rack and more particularly to a garment rack which may bev rapidly dismantled and folded into a small package for moving and storage and which is rigid, commodious and attractive when erected. The rack is designed to be fashioned from lightweight material so that it is easily handled in both its erected and its folded positions.

A lightweight folding rack which is easily dismantled and moved and which can be relatively inexpensively furnished is useful in numerous applications where permanent storage facilitates are unavoidable or undesirable. Such a rack., for example, may be temporarily set up in homes or olices, or at meetings or conventions to handle large numbers of garments. It is also useful in smaller apartments, offices or homes where it will provide an attractive semi-permanent storage rack which may be readily removed when necessary when the space is otherwise needed.

The rack of the present invention has a simplified folding action in which no nuts, bolts or locknuts are required. The folding is controlled by hinges and slotted connections so that no small parts or pieces are removed during folding or unfolding. The basic garment rack may be folded into two compact pieces.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved folding rack.

Another object of the invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive lightweight folding rack.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rack which is easily folded and unfolded.

Another object of the invention is to provide a folding rack which is rigid and attractive in its erected form.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a folding rack having a minimum number of parts.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employ ment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a garment rack according to the invention showing the upper and lower portions separated;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view partially in section showing the lower portion of the rack end post;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevational view partially in section of the lower portion of the rack end post;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation partially in section of the lower portion of the rack end post with the bottom rod in its folded position; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one side of the bottom section of the rack in its folded position.

Patented May 28, 1957 "ice Referring to the drawing and more particularly to Fig. l, the garment rack 1 is divided into a top 2 and a bottom 4 by having end posts 5 divided into a top post 6 and a bottom post 7. The top and bottom posts are removably connected by a socket-like coupling 5a or any other suitable coupling.

The top 2 of rack 1 comprises a horizontal hanger rod 8 connected to the top posts 6 by suitable hinges 9. In its folded position top posts 6 are swung through ninety degrees -so that they lie adjacent to and generally parallel to rod 8.

The bottom 4 of rack 1 comprises a horizontal bottom rod 10 to the opposite ends of which are attached bottom posts 7 and a folding foot assembly. The foot assembly com-prises a horizontal foot 12 adapted to lit generally perpendicularly to end posts 5 and bottom rod 10 when the rack is in its erected condition. Foot 12 mounts bottom post 7 in a slot 20 which receives the tapered end 19 of post 7. Straps 13 and 14 hold post 7 in place on foot 12. The folding and unfolding of the foot assembly and the function of straps 13 and 14 will now be more ful-ly described. lStrap 13 is pivotally connected to foot 12 by pivot connection 16 and to bottom post 7 by a pivot connection 15. A second strap v14 is preferably used to strengthen the rack and to hold the foot 12 in place. This strap is connected to both foot 12 and post 7. One end of strap 14 is made with a removable connection such as hooking slot 18 and the other end has a pivot connection. Strap 14 is shown in the drawing hookingon pivot 17 on foot 12 and having a pivoted connection at 15 on post 7. These connections, however, may be reversed on the opposite ends of strap 14 so that the pivot is on foot 12,

To unfold the foot assembly from the erected position shown in Fig. 3 to the folded position shown in Fig. 5, strap 14 is first rotated about pivot connection 15 to disengage slot 18 from pivot 17. The tapered end 19 of bottomy post 7 may now readily be removed from slot 20 in foot 12 by lifting post 7 and rotating it with respect to foot 12. Sutlicient clearance is provided between end 19 and slot 20 for this operation. As soon as end 19 is free of slot 20, the pivoted end connections 15 and 16 of strap 13 will allow both strap 13 and foot 12 to be folded generally parallel and closely adjacent to bottom post 7, as shown in Fig. 5. Strap 14 also may be swung about pivot 15 to a position generally parallel to bottom post 7 along with strap 13 and foot 12.

Castor plugs 21 are provided in opposite ends of foot 12 for suitable castors 22.

Bottom posts 7 are hinged to bottom rod 10 by suitable hinges 11. These hinges allow the folded foot assembly to be swung parallel to bottom rod 10. A compact folded arrangement results with all the principal parts of the bottom 4 folded parallel to each other as seen in Fig. 5.

A preferred form of hinge 11 is shown in the drawing having parallel side plates 27 which are pivotally attached to post 7 by pin 25 and which are rigidly attached to rod 10 by fastenings 24. In its erected position, as shown in Figs. 1 through 3, hinge 11 provides a stigening effect by the contact of plates 27 against opposite edges of post 7. Preferably plates 27 have a friction tit with post 7. Preferably a plug 26 is fitted into the end of rod 10 so that it cooperates with an aperture 28 in post 7. Plug 26 provides a centering action during the erection of the rack and also provides an additional frictional contact area between rod 10 and post 7 to stitfen the assembled rack.

It can be seen that an improved folding rack is provided which, when erected, is roomy as well as strong and attractive in appearance and which, when folded, comprises a relatively small and lightweight bundle which may be easily carried or stored. The folding action of the rack is easily performed by a single person and the basic folded 3, rack consists of only two compact pieces. The rack ,is especially suitable for fabrication from lightweight materials, such as tubular metal.

As various changes may be made in the form, lconstruction and arrangement of .the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and Without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to beunderstood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A folding rack comprising a top portion and a bottom portion, said top portion comprising a rigid unitary hanger rod and a pair of rst ends posts each pivotally connected adjacent one end to the opposite ends of said hanger rod and adapted vto pivot from a first position generally perpendicular to said hanger rod to a second position generally parallel thereto, said bottom portion comprising a rigid unitary bottom rod, a pair of second end posts each pivotally connected adjacent one end to the opposite ends of said bottom rod and adapted to pivot from a rst position perpendicular to said bottom rod to a second position parallel thereto, means for separably coupling the end of each of said second end posts remote from said pivotal connection to the end of one of said iirst end posts remote from said pivotal connection when both rst and second end posts .are in their first positions, and a foot assembly at the end of each of said second end posts adjacent to the pivotal connection of said bottom rod comprising a foot hingedly attached to the second end post by a first strap member pivotally `connected at one end to said foot and pivotally connected at its opposite end to the second end post, a second strap member connected at one end to the end post and at the other end to the foot,V one of said end connections of said second strap being a pivoted connection and the other being a separable connection, and means providing a readily separable connection between said second end post and the foot.

2. A hinge connection for a post member and a rod member which are adapted to be folded from a first position generally parallel to one another to a second position generally at right angles to one another with one end of Cil said rod member abutting a side of said post member comprising a pair of spaced plates rigidly connected to opposite sides of said rod member and pivotally connected to opposite sides of said post member, and a socket means intermediate said plates with a socket on one of said members and a pin on the other of Said members connecting said one end of said rod member to said side of said post member when they are in the abutting position.

3V. The hinge as claimed in claim 2 in which said pin of said socket means is on said one end of said rod member.

4. A foot assembly for a folding rack comprising a tubular post having a flattened end, a tubular foot having an elongated slot intermediate its ends adapted to removably receive the flattened end of said post, said slot being proportioned to provide clearance between its ends and the edges of the flattened end of said post when the attened end is in said slot to facilitate the removal of said flattened end of the post from the slot, a iirst strap pivotally connected at one end to said post and pivotally connected at the other end to said foot intermediate one of the ends of said foot vand the slot, a second strap con- Y nected at its opposite ends to said post and to said foot intermediate the slot and the opposite end of the foot, and one of the connections of said second strap being a pivoted connection and the other being a separable connection whereby said last named connection may be separated i to allow said foot to be folded parallel and adjacent to said post.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

